A Rubik’s Cube Cake to Celebrate the Iconic Puzzle’s 40th Birthday

Okay, maybe you don’t want to celebrate the Rubik’s Cube on May 19th (its 40th birthday!), considering how darn frustrating it is to solve!
Either that or you were that one kid in your high school who could get the colors aligned in perfect rows in 20 seconds flat. Still, we think Rubik’s Cube haters and lovers alike can agree on this: Replicating the puzzle — invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor Erno Rubik — in cake is pretty sweet.

“I started off with a half sheet cake, which I cut into squares and stacked on top of each other to make a cube,” she writes. You can also bake three smaller square cakes — your favorite basic recipe will work just fine — and stack those.

When the cakes are stacked into one mega-cake, frost the whole thing in chocolate frosting. Head then coated her cube with cake spackle, which is a mixture of cake crumbs and icing, before covering it in black modeling chocolate. The spackle is firmer than buttercream and thus holds its shape better, so the modeling chocolate will layer on with no bumps, she says. (If you’re okay with your cake not looking bakery perfect, just do the chocolate frosting step and call it a day.)

For the squares, try Head’s recipe for marshmallow fondant, dyed with food coloring and rolled out super-thin before cutting into 45 squares. To be exact, measure the height and width of your cake, divide each number by three and make each square a little bit smaller than those dimensions (to allow for space between the squares). They should be tacky enough to stick right to your cake.

1. Place marshmallows and water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave 1 minute on high; stir until mixed well. Continue microwaving 1 minute more; stir again. (If you need to tint the entire batch of fondant, add a little food coloring to the melted marshmallow mixture before adding confectioners’ sugar. For smaller amounts of tinted fondant, add gel color to portions of fondant as needed.)

2. In the greased bowl of a standing mixer, combine marshmallow mixture and about 7 cups of the confectioners’ sugar. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed for 5-6 minutes. If the mixture is too soft (it should be pliable but firm), add more powdered sugar.

3. Remove fondant from bowl and knead on a generously greased work surface for 1-2 minutes. Don’t skimp on the shortening — it helps with the texture of the finished fondant.

4. It’s best to allow marshmallow fondant to sit, double-wrapped, overnight before using. Prepare the fondant for storing by coating with a thin layer of shortening. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in a resealable bag, squeezing out as much air as possible. Marshmallow fondant will keep well in the refrigerator for several weeks. When ready to use, knead fondant until smooth and roll out to ⅛-¼ in. thick.